Nashr al-Sahifa fi Dhikr al-Sahih min Aqwal Aimmat al-Jarh wa al-Tadil fi Abi Hanifa
- Author died
- 1422 AH
- Editions
- دار الحرمين
Nashr al-Sahifa fi Dhikr al-Sahih min Aqwal Aimmat al-Jarh wa al-Tadil fi Abi Hanifa (Spreading the Page Concerning the Authentic Sayings of the Imams of Criticism and Praise Regarding Abu Hanifa) is a hadith-criticism monograph by the Yemeni Salafi scholar Muqbil ibn Hadi al-Wadi'i (d. 1422 AH / 2001 CE) that compiles authentic historical transmissions from early hadith masters regarding critical assessments (jarh) of Abu Hanifa.
Background and Motivation
Al-Wadi'i composed the book after observing contemporary disputes concerning the evaluation of Abu Hanifa's reliability in hadith transmission. In particular, he noted the sharp criticism directed by editor Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut against Nasir al-Din al-Albani in the footnotes of al-Tahawi's Mushkil al-Athar for declaring Abu Hanifa weak, which al-Wadi'i argued made it appear as if al-Albani were the only scholar to have done so. He also cited Muhammad Zahid al-Kawthari's polemics against early and later hadith scholars on account of their criticism of Abu Hanifa, as documented in al-Tankil bi-ma fi Ta'nib al-Kawthari min al-Abatil by Abd al-Rahman al-Mu'allimi. These factors prompted al-Wadi'i to gather the authentic reports directly from early hadith sources.
Methodology and Scope
Al-Wadi'i restricted the work to reports containing authentic chains of transmission (asanid sahiha) documenting critical evaluations of Abu Hanifa from classical imams of hadith. He deliberately excluded reports of praise (ta'dil), stating that they derived from individuals whose assessments could not withstand the statements of the leading masters of jarh wa-ta'dil, from partisan partisans of Abu Hanifa, or from early imams such as Sufyan al-Thawri and Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak who, according to al-Wadi'i, later retracted their praise and warned against him.
Addressing dual reports from figures like Yahya ibn Ma'in—who both validated Abu Hanifa's honesty and criticized him—al-Wadi'i argued that Ibn Ma'in's affirmation that Abu Hanifa was "too noble to lie" referred to moral veracity, whereas his criticism pertained to his legal reasoning (ra'y) and confusion in hadith transmission. He maintained that according to hadith terminology (mustalah al-hadith), an explained, specific criticism (al-jarh al-mufassar) takes precedence over general praise. Al-Wadi'i also argued that later scholars, including Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani describing Abu Hanifa in Taqrib al-Tahdhib simply as a "famous jurist" (faqih mashhur), resorted to neutral phrasing because of the historical judicial dominance of the Hanafi school.
Content and Publication
The work opens with an introduction examining the legitimacy of jarh wa-ta'dil in Islamic scholarship and a theological critique of religious exaggeration (al-ghuluw), arguing that conferring titles such as "al-Imam al-A'zam" (the Greatest Imam) exceeds proper limits. It then cites narrations and statements attributed to early authorities detailing criticisms of Abu Hanifa's memory, hadith competence, and doctrinal positions.
The book was among the author's final published writings, comprising a single volume of approximately 400 pages. It was published by Maktabat San'a' al-Athariyya in Sanaa, Yemen, with a second edition appearing in 1425 AH / 2004 CE.
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